Just For Now
by 980973409158
Summary: Izzie takes a much needed vacation to visit her old friend, Alex.
1. Chapter 1

Izzie smiled to herself as she checked off another day on her calendar. She knew it was childish, counting down the days to her vacation like that, but she couldn't help it. Work had been stressful lately, really stressful, and even though she loved working as a neonatal surgeon, after a while the long hours were too much to handle. Soon, though, she would get a break. Only one more day until she would leave for San Diego for two whole weeks, for two whole weeks with Alex.

She met Alex back when they were both in med school and they had been really close. Even though they frequently teased each other and bantered, Izzie knew she could always count on him to be there for her. They'd kept in touch after they left to go on separate internships but Izzie hadn't seen Alex in over two years now and she was as excited as she was nervous. She knew she had no reason to be. It wasn't as if Alex were a stranger and there had never been anything between the two of them, nor did she think there ever would be. She had thought about it before but… no. She shook her feelings aside. Alex never felt that way about her and he never would. They were just friends, which was fine with her because she needed a friends right now, especially a in southern California, far away from her home, Seattle, with a house on the beach. She had recently messed up quite a few friendships and a place far away from all those mistakes with a friend who would not be able to judge her, simply because he didn't know anything was perfect. The fact that she had a spot just for her on the warm, relaxing beach just made it that much better. She needed this vacation badly and it had to be perfect.

Alex groaned as he threw more crap out of his guest bedroom. He hadn't realized he had accumulated so much trash and the task of preparing a room for Izzie to stay in while she visited had been a larger task than he had expected. He needed things to be perfect for her. She was the one woman with whom he had never fucked up. He managed never to disappoint her or betray her and he was proud of that. She was the one constant in his life of ruined friendships and one-night-stands and he wasn't going to risk messing that up now.

Alex heard someone moving in the bathroom down the hall and quickly went to see who it was. "Shit," he muttered to himself. He had completely forgotten about… what was her name again? He walked down the hallway and hesitantly knocked on the door. The girl, whatever her name was, opened the door. He had hoped that seeing her face would help him remember her name. "Umm…" Alex stalled, "You really need to leave…" He still couldn't remember.

"It's Kennedy," she mutter, "I don't need an explanation, Alex. I'm leaving." She quickly grabbed her things and left the bedroom. Alex watched as she left and realized the next two weeks were going to be harder than he thought. Of course he wasn't going to bring some girl home when Izzie was there but what else he do to slip up and piss her off? Up until that point he hadn't really realized what kind of lifestyle he had; he just never really thought about it before, but now he would have to change it, if only for a little while. Change it for Izzie. Why? He never really thought about that either. He didn't know why it was so important for him to impress Izzie or to be there for her, or to not let her down. She was just an old friend after all.


	2. Chapter 2

Izzie smiled as she walked through the airport and saw Alex shuffling about nervously. He always tried to act tough and hardcore but Izzie knew better. She knew the real Alex no matter how hard Alex tried to keep him hidden; it had never worked with Izzie

"Alex! Hey," she squealed. Alex turned around to find the owner of the voice. He looked so much better than she remembered. The sun had been good for him, his tan accentuating his muscles as they rippled when he moved his arms to hug her.

"Hey Iz," he murmured, pulling her close into him. "You look good"

"Yeah, you too." She didn't move away; the feeling of her body pressed against his was too intoxicating. Just then he pulled away and she tried to hide the disappointment in her eyes.

"So, you want to get going? Is that the only you have?" he asked, pointing to the pilot suitcase had as a carry-on.

"Oh, yeah it is."

"Alright then. Let's go." Alex hesitated, awkwardly deciding whether or not to put his arm around her. Izzie noticed and, deciding to make his decision a bit easier, leaned against him.

"Thanks for coming to get me, Alex."

"Yeah. No problem." She smiled as he escorted her out of the airport, arm around her waist. This was going to be harder than she thought.

"We're just friends. We're just friends..." She spoke silently to herself over and over again.


	3. Chapter 3

"I still can't believed you cooked dinner," Izzie gushed. They had arrived back at Alex's beach house a couple of hours ago and he had surprised her by announcing that he would be making dinner that evening.

"I guess your efforts to domesticate me back in med school weren't entirely futile. It is just pasta though, Iz. I'm not some master chef or anything."

"Yeah, but it's still sweet though." There were a few moments of silence before Izzie began again. "So, do you have a girlfriend now or is it still your usual parade of skanks?"

"What?" Alex gasped, pretending to be offended. "How could you ever think that of me?"

"Oh yes, I forgot. When I think Alex I think monogamy." She was joking but in actuality, Alex's promiscuity always bothered her and she never knew why.

"But seriously though, no. I don't have a girlfriend. What about you? Got a boyfriend? Actually, I would have thought you'd be married by now."

Izzie fell silent; the playful look in her eyes was gone. She looked away from Alex and busied herself by getting more food.

"Look Iz, I'm sorry. You know you can talk to me about whatever it is."

"No, its nothing Alex. Really. Why don't you tell me about work or something." Alex had become a neonatal surgeon too and she always gave him crap for it. He always boasted about becoming a plastic surgeon, saying it was the only specialty hardcore enough for him. So, of course, when Alex chose babies over boobs, teasing was inevitable.

They talked for the rest of the night, swapping stories of crazed mothers-to-be and amazing surgeries. Soon it grew late so Alex showed Izzie the guest room and they both went to sleep.

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Alex awoke in the middle of the night to the sound of clanging metal. He groaned as he looked at his clock: 4:23 am. "What the hell?" he muttered.

He trudged downstairs and into the kitchen, following the sounds of slamming cupboard doors and clattering mixing bowls. He found Izzie standing at the island in his kitchen frantically stirring something; she had a bit of flour wiped across her cheek. Even in Alex's extremely sleepy state, he thought she looked completely adorable. She looked up for a moment and noticed him standing there.

"Oh, Hey Alex!" She said cheerfully. "I couldn't sleep and I was think about how nice it was that you made dinner for me so I thought I would make some cupcakes and surprise you in the morning and do you know if you have any baking chocolate because I really think chocolate cupcakes would be good and…" she sounded completely manic as she continued to prattle endlessly. Alex wordlessly walked over to her and took the mixing bowl from her and put it in the fridge.

"Hey! Alex! I need that," Izzie protested. Alex didn't respond, he simply put his hands on her shoulders and led her out of the kitchen. He ignored the excitement he felt at even that simple of a touch and brought her to her bedroom.

"Good night, Iz," he spoke softly before placing a light kiss on her cheek and going back to bed.


	4. Chapter 4

The next morning Izzie and Alex lay on the beach… with a fresh batch of chocolate cupcakes. After Alex brought Izzie back to her room she awoke again after a couple of hours and went back to the kitchen; much to her dismay, Alex was completely out of baking chocolate. So she went to wake a still very sleepy Alex to ask him if he could take her to the store to get baking chocolate. Alex knew that when she had her heart this set on baking, it wasn't really about baked goods, but he drove her to the store anyway. It was easier to appease her then and talk to her about it later.

Now, looking at Izzie, he though he would put it off talking to her about it for just a little while longer. Instead, he watched as she lay basking in the sun on her striped pink beach towel. She was laying on her back but she had her eyes closed so he didn't worry about her noticing his watching her. She was wearing a pink bikini that made every already perfect curve of her body look even more perfect. Heat rushed through his body and he felt himself grow hard as he noticed how Izzie's boobs rose a little bit out of her bikini top every time she took a breath. Alex quickly turned away from, hoping she wouldn't open her eyes and notice.

"Hey Iz," he said, still turned away from her, "I think I'm going to go get in the water, cool down a bit."

"Okay, " Izzie said, sitting up and moving her hand to shield her eyes from the sun. "Wait for me. I want to come."

"Yeah, well me too. That's why I'm headed for the water," Alex thought to himself.

"Alright, race ya!" Alex challenged as he started sprinting down the beach towards the water. Izzie got up and ran after him but he was already almost to the water.

"Hey! No fair." Izzie yelled. "You had a head start!"

"Hurry up," Alex taunted right before he dove under the water.

Izzie finally made it and began wading though the water looking for Alex. She scanned the surface but didn't see him anywhere. "What the hell," she thought, "how long could he hold his–

Her thoughts were interrupted when something grabbed a hold of her legs and she screamed as it pulled her under. She gasped for air as she resurfaced. Alex swam up next to her laughing. "What the hell, Alex?" she said, playfully smacking him on his chest. He only kept laughing.

"You should have heard yourself scream."

"Oh, shut up." She said. In vengeance she tried to dunk him but failed. She had hoped that by putting all of her weight on him, he would fall over but he didn't. Instead, she ended up more or less vertically straddling him. She didn't move as she knew she should. She shivered as their intertwined bodies caused electricity to pulse through her. Alex moved his face a little closer to her, his lips only seconds away from hers. Suddenly a change swept over him and he looked away.

"Umm… I think I'm finally gonna try one of those cupcakes you made." Alex said. Izzie reluctantly slid off of him and watched as he hurriedly swam to the shore.

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Later that night Alex lay in his bed unable to sleep. He couldn't stop thinking about what happened between him and Izzie earlier at the beach. He had wanted to kiss her, touch her, and so much more, but he wasn't sure if she had wanted it too. Or rather, he wasn't sure if she was in the right place to start something with him. He knew something was bothering her, the midnight baking had been a dead giveaway, but he didn't know what it was so… he just didn't know what to do.

Just then he heard a soft knock on his door.

"Iz?" Alex questioned as he sat up in bed.

"Hey Alex" Izzie said sheepishly as she opened the door. "Is it um, okay if I stay in here for a while? Cuz I'm lying in bed and I keep thinking about things and there's nothing to distract me and… it just makes it impossible to sleep."

"Yeah, of course," Alex reassured her as he moved to on side of the bed leaving the other for her. Izzie lay down on her side facing Alex and pulled the blankets up around herself. "Do you want to talk?" Alex began. "Because I know something's bothering you and you can tell me what it is." He moved to gently brush the hair off of her face.

"I messed up. I made a huge mistake and now everyone hates me and I have no friends."

"What? What exactly happened Iz?" Alex asked confused.

"You remember Addison and Mark right?" Alex nodded. He had met them when he went to visit Izzie in Seattle a few years ago. Izzie and Addison were best friends, practically inseparable. He had always seen Mark with Addison and assumed they were something along the lines of fuck buddies.

"Well things got really serious between them. Mark actually proposed to her a few months ago. All of us were shocked and Addison was just elated. Well, It seems that Mark was having some doubts because he came to talk to me on day and," Izzie stopped. She covered he face with her hands, trying to hide the embarrassment and regret that covered it. "I slept with him," she finally whispered. "It was so stupid. It obviously meant nothing to him and I felt so guilty that I told Addison what happened." She was starting to cry now and Alex used the pads of his thumbs to wipe away her tears as he drew her into his embrace. "She was so pissed," Izzie continued, "and she definitely did not forgive me as I naively hoped she would. After that the entire hospital hated me; it was all my fault that I broke up the stupid perfect couple. No one talked to me after that. Nobody. Not even George who was supposed to be my best friend. The past month there has been a living hell."

"I'm so sorry Iz. You know it was just as much Mark's fault as it was yours, if not more."

"Yeah, I know," Izzie whispered, a bit calmer no that her tears had subsided. "I just wish I never had to go back. I need to escape from the terrible reality that has become my life. I guess that's what this trip is: An escape from reality, even if it is just for now." She pulled her into him and pressed her forehead against his, their noses touching. "So I don't want to think about all that stuff anymore. I just want to think about being here with you."

Alex pulled her even closer into him so that her body was flush against his. The feeling of his hot breath against her mouth sent shivers through her body. His hand gently cupped her cheek as he pulled her into a kiss, his lips meeting hers softly at first, lightly sucking on her bottom lip. She deepened the kiss, allowing him to thrust his tongue into her mouth. She kissed back fervently with so much desire. The desire to forget, the desire to move on, and, especially and ultimately, the simple desire for Alex himself. He broke the kiss, both of them panting and out of breath. "Good night Alex," Izzie whispered before kissing him again softly. He wrapped his arms around her and she buried her face in the crook of his neck and they both fell asleep.


End file.
